United Airlines Inaugurates Denver to Tokyo Flight with Boeing 787 Dreamliner

DENVER, June 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- United Airlines today re-launched international service on the 787 Dreamliner with the inaugural flight from the airline's hub in Denver to Tokyo-Narita International Airport. The daily flight marks the Mile High City's first nonstop connection to Asia, a highly anticipated milestone in Denver's history.

"We share the excitement with the Denver community and want to recognize the efforts of city and state leaders who worked with us to make service to Asia from Denver a reality," said Jim Compton, United's vice chairman and chief revenue officer. "The 787 is a revolutionary aircraft, and our customers are going to love the travel experience it provides."

"This new nonstop flight will be a gateway into Colorado for Japan and other Asian countries," said Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper. "Already, Colorado is a top-five dream destination for people in the U.S., and we'd like to make it a top-five dream destination for Japan and throughout Asia. Japan is Colorado's fourth-largest source of foreign investment, and we want to help companies expand by taking advantage of Colorado's competitive business environment and highly educated workforce."

"This new nonstop service between Denver and Tokyo will build a new bridge between Colorado and all of Asia, strengthening our global connectivity and elevating the entire Denver area onto the international stage," Mayor Michael B. Hancock said. "We thank United Airlines for its partnership on this new frontier of opportunity and its commitment to the Denver market. Launching this nonstop flight to Japan will not only create new jobs, stimulate economic growth and increase foreign investment and trade, it will provide new avenues for tourism, education and cultural exchanges that will enrich both regions for generations to come."

Mayor Hancock will lead a delegation of nearly 70 business, tourism and government officials traveling to Japan the week of June 10 to foster trade, tourism and investments between the two regions.

Daily flights to Asia from Denver

Flight 139 departs Denver daily at 12:35 p.m. and arrives at Tokyo-Narita International Airport at 3:30 p.m. the next day. For the return, Flight 138 departs Tokyo at 5:25 p.m. and arrives in Denver at 1:15 p.m. the same day. (All times are local.)

Together with its joint venture partner ANA, United will offer seamless connections at Narita to or from more than 18 destinations in Asia, including important business and trade destinations like Seoul, South Korea, Bangkok and Singapore.

Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Configured with 36 seats in United BusinessFirst, 70 seats in United Economy Plus and 113 seats in United Economy, the Dreamliner is revolutionizing the flying experience for United customers and crews while delivering unprecedented operating efficiency, comfort and lower emissions. Customers will experience greater comfort with improved lighting, bigger windows, larger overhead bins, lower cabin altitude and enhanced ventilation systems, among other passenger-friendly features. All customers will enjoy on-demand entertainment at every seat and lighting that replicates a full day or night on long-haul flights such as Denver to Tokyo. The aircraft's use of lightweight composites, together with its modern engines and improved aerodynamic design, allow it to fly farther, faster and more efficiently than similar-sized conventional aircraft.

United is the 787 North American launch customer and now has six Dreamliners in its fleet. The airline has 55 Dreamliners on order and expects to take delivery of two more from Boeing in the second half of 2013.

United in Denver

In addition to the Tokyo route, United in the past year added nine new Denver routes, including flights to emerging energy markets like Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, and Dickinson, N.D. Other new destinations United serves from Denver include Santa Fe, N.M., and St. George, Utah. United also recently increased the frequency of service from Denver to Mexico.

United offers more flights to more destinations worldwide from Denver than any other airline, with more than 400 peak day departures to 126 destinations throughout the year. United flies to over 60 more cities than the next largest carrier at Denver International Airport.

United is one of Denver's largest private employers, with nearly 5,000 employees who proudly call Denver home. United celebrated the airline's 75^th anniversary of service to Denver last year with the announcement it would begin service to Tokyo.

About United

United Airlines and United Express operate an average of 5,446 flights a day to more than 370 airports across six continents. In 2012, United and United Express carried more passenger traffic than any other airline in the world and operated nearly two million flights carrying 140 million customers. United is investing in upgrading its onboard products and now offers more flat-bed seats in its premium cabins and more extra-legroom economy-class seating than any airline in North America. In 2013, United became the first U.S.-based international carrier to offer satellite-based Wi-Fi on long-haul overseas routes. The airline also features DIRECTV® on 200 aircraft, offering customers more live television access than any other airline in the world. United operates nearly 700 mainline aircraft and has made large-scale investments in its fleet. In 2013, United will continue to modernize its fleet by taking delivery of more than two dozen new Boeing aircraft. The company expanded its industry-leading global route network in 2012, launching nine new international and 18 new domestic routes. Business Traveler magazine awarded United Best Airline for North American Travel for 2012, and readers of Global Traveler magazine have voted United's MileagePlus program the best frequent flyer program for nine consecutive years. According to the 4th annual Switchfly Reward Seat Availability Survey published by IdeaWorksCompany in May 2013, United has the most saver-style award-seat availability among the largest U.S. global airlines. United is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides service to 194 countries via 27 member airlines. More than 85,000 United employees reside in every U.S. state and in countries around the world. For more information, visit united.com or follow United on Twitter and Facebook. The common stock of United's parent, United Continental Holdings, Inc., is traded on the NYSE under the symbol UAL.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130404/MM89155LOGO)

SOURCE United Airlines